Ocotea quixos (Lam.) Kosterm. (Ishpingo) is a tree that grows in humid tropical forests
of South America (310-1200 msnm). It is used for food and medicine since it possesses
essential oils with antiplatelet, antithrombotic properties, among others.
In Ecuador, the wild populations of Ishpingo has been reduced by ecosystem
transformation, deforestation and clonal cultivation. This study compared the genetic
variability of three regions of chloroplastic DNA (matK, rbcLa and psbA-trnH) and
one nuclear region (ITS) in Ishpingo from 5 provinces of the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Based on the obtained alignments, the phylogeny was performed using the maximum
likelihood criterion, with a bootstrap of 1000 replicates and with Jukes-Cantor. The
genetic variability was determined using the DNA conservation coefficient and the Nei
(π) nucleotide variability coefficient.
The nucleotide variability of matK, rbcLa and psbA-trnH regions was low (π ≤ 0.005)
due to their high degree of conservation. The ITS region presented a superior
variability (π = 0.11), grouping the individuals analyzed in two clades. The results of
the ITS region may be affected due to the homoplasy that it possesses.
The regions analyzed were not useful for the study of genetic variability in Ishpingo.
Therefore, it is suggested that new chloroplastic and nuclear DNA regions be analyzed,
that allow studies of population genetics of this species in Ecuador to be carried out.